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Itching for Summer Vacation?

May 28, 2015

The end of the school year is here and many parents and students have summer vacation on the brain! For parents who plan on sending their children to camps this summer for some fun in the sun, it is important to prepare for the many pests your child may encounter. Head lice, mosquitoes and bed bugs are more prevalent than ever in our children’s summer camps.

Head Lice

According to the American Camp Association, one of the most common help line calls they receive is from summer camps preparing or treating a lice infestation.
These parasitic insects can be found on your child’s head and body and survive by biting the scalp.
Head lice are typically spread through direct contact. For this reason, it is important to teach your children not to share hats, headbands and hairbrushes with their peers.

Mosquitos

Mosquitoes are infamous for being vectors of disease for humans and animals alike, much like how kids are infamous for coming back home from summer camp with mosquito bites. While mosquitoes have a short lifespan, females can lay up to 3,000 eggs in their lifetime.

Mosquitoes can be a huge nuisance to children playing outside and are potentially dangerous. Consider educating your child on ways to prevent mosquito bites like always using bug repellent and staying away from standing water. Spraying scents like lemon eucalyptus oil has also proven to be effective in keeping mosquitos at bay.

Bed Bugs

If your child takes naps during the day or is getting ready for sleep away camp, identifying bed bugs and the red welts they can leave behind is critical to eliminating an infestation and preventing them from making themselves comfy in your home.

Before sending your kids off to camp, check reports in the camp’s surrounding area and ensure they take precautions against bed bugs. Also, consider sending your child to camp with a hard-shelled suitcase rather than a fabric one. Hard-shelled cases have fewer folds and seams where bedbugs can hide.